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Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Engineering Adherent Bacteria by Creating a Single Synthetic Curli Operon
Published on: November 16, 2012
Investigation of Bacterial Curli Production and Adhesion Using AFM
Yoo Jin Oh1, Peter Hinterdorfer2
1Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Linz, Austria. yoo_jin.oh@jku.at.
Abstract:
Escherichia coli cells containing the amyloid curli protein CsgA bind to abiotic surfaces and the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin. Here we describe procedures for following bacterial attachment to glass surfaces and provide protocols for coupling bacterial cells to AFM tips. Using single microbial cell force spectroscopy in physiological environment, we show methods to probe mechanical parameters and the dissociation of curliated E. coli cells from fibronectin surfaces by quantifying Young's modulus, unbinding forces, and de-adhesion works.
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